neck weight

[mermaid wannabe]

I am new to dynamic apnea and would like to know if anybody makes and sells neck weights? Even if it is empty, I would be happy to fill it with the lead myself. Just a little short on time and before I start gathering all the bits ready to make one,just wondering if there is anything ready-made out there?

 

[DivingDane]

Not that i am aware of... but could be wrong. but they are pretty easy to make

ingrediants:

1x mountain bike tyre tube
1x quick release clip (to suit width of tyre tube)
1x weight of lead shot (e.g. 3kg)
1x tube rubber glue
1x length heat shrink to suit tube diameter.

steps:

1. cut tube

2. seal tube end and attach to one side of the clip, ensure you seal the end water tight using rubber glue.

3. fill tube with desired weight of lead shot (depending on tube diameter you may need to stretch the tube and force the lead in using a length of broom handle or similar)

4. cut other end of tube to size

5. slide two lengths of heat shrink (about 60mm) onto the neck weight before the next step

6. seal tube end and attach to other end of clip. (again ensure tube is air tight)

7. position heat shrink over the tube where it joins to hold the clips and heat until they contract over the join

**** note heat shrink stages are not required just make it a little more secure and cleaner*****

DD

 

[Phil C]

Most people I know use homemade ones (you should see the mess on the bottom of the pool when one goes bad). But I noticed Stefan sells ready made ones (freight could be an issue).

snebel.com Tauchen & Tauchsportartikel aus eigenem Import

He's a good supplier for those elusive noseclips too.

 

[DivingDane]

hmmm intersting nose clips, not paradisio but look pretty darn good, if i didnt already have an FII one on the way i may have been tempted. neck weights look like they are made of cloth???? not rubber wonder how it would go with the lead continuelly getting wet, either way its good to see someone making them at least.

DD

 

[BennyB]

I've got one of the clear noseclips, I didn't get it from that website but they're the same ones. They're good, but the plastic is slightly on the brittle side, a piece broke off mine a while ago, luckily not in a vital area as it still works fine.

Cheers,
Ben

 

[Phil C]

The noseclips he sells have pretty much replaced the Paradiso in NZ. We did a bulk order of ten or twelve last year. Paradiso were just too damn hard to get. The only supplier I managed to get for Paradiso from were http://vieuxplongeur.com and in my experience their customer service leaves a little to be desired. Last time I gave up after waiting 3 months and ordered from Stefan.

I haven't used his neckweights, but they look like they are made from fire hose!

 

[B-J]

I would recommend to have a neckweight that is easy to adjust the amount of weight in. First it takes some time to adjust the weight as you are now. Once you learn how to pack, your buoyancy will change alot, and it is important to adjust the weight. Maybe you will buy a suit in the future also?

 

[salibandy]

Note on nose clips. Different brands/makes close differently.

I have the Paradisia, FIT, and tried the snebel one. When each closes, the pads align to different angles. The Paradisia closes to a slight V shape, the FIT one is more parallel, and the snebel.com one in more like an inverted V. Get what I mean? Also, it seems different production batches vary from each other, at least for the Paradisia.

For me, with a tiny Asian nose, the Paradisia and FIT work best. The FIT one is super tight though, so I use the Paradisia more. The snebel one I've not touched (it's my mentor's anyway), as it's quite loose, making it useless for equalising.

 

[Kars]

Off cause it's a good idea to use some other weights in some temporary way of tying up around your neck in order to see how much weight you want.

How to test?
In a 1,5m - 2m pool, do a dynamic push start strait of the wall, hold yourself rigged try to avoid palms and feet creating lift, and glide until full stop. Usually at the end you'll find either your legs or arms floating up. Balance your body out. Notice that taking less air will shift the centre of buoyancy upwards. When testing for your "competition" neck weight do the same competition preparations, because your flexibility and therefore your air intake ant the resulting buoyancy is influenced by how warmed up and how well stretched you are.
I suggest you make first your "training weight".

My way of closing the neck weight is a bit more temporary, using a cut able tie rip and duck tape.
- Put the end through the clip, close the end with duck tape, use a tie rip to secure the pulled through end to the filled part preventing it slipping back through the clip, and duck tape the returned part flat to the buckshot filled part. Lastly slide over a shorter piece of inner tire covering the duck tape up to the clip to finish it, make it slick and nice to see.

I have two neck weights, one light 2,3 KG for training, where I don't pack and/ or do not wear a suit. And one for competition, 3,5KG.

By the way, making and using your own equipment is a very awarding creative experience.
Just be patient, think it through and enjoy the learning experience.

Love, Courage and Water,

Kars

 

[mermaid wannabe]

To Diving Dane, Phil, Kars and everybody else,
Many thanks for the help! Thanks also for the clear instructions on how to make a neck weight, most likely to be the only option!(But what do you mean by heat shrink?Sorry,I'm not familiar with that term)

 

[adolphin]

hmmm intersting nose clips, not paradisio but look pretty darn good, if i didnt already have an FII one on the way i may have been tempted. neck weights look like they are made of cloth???? not rubber wonder how it would go with the lead continuelly getting wet, either way its good to see someone making them at least.

DD

Mentioning the noseclips, I've been trying to contact Paradisio on all the contact numbers they have onsite plus the email, no answer !!!! .. any suggestions ? .. as I need one really urgently ..

 

[trux]

Mermaid, you can find very detailed instructions with photos for a DIY neck weight both here in DB archives, and on the web. I see three such documents listed in the Freediving Media Base: documents neck weight @ APNEA.cz

 

[DivingDane]

adolphin check out martin Stepaniks site FII freediving he has his nose clips for sale on there, i orded one just waiting for it, spoke with a couple pretty experienced guys that said they were the goods and the pricingmisnt bad either.

F.I.I. Freediving Instructors International - from the beginner to the instructor

DD

 

[DivingDane]

mermaid wannabe, heat shrink is a soft plastic tube generally used by electricians to cover the ends of cable etc. it is then heated with a cigeratte lighter and contracts around the cable (in our case neck weight) making it waterproof, you will find it in almost any hardware store.

DD

 

[ptoot]

mermaid wannabe:

What worked for me was using the inner tube of a 10 inch wheel from a kiddie bike, (nicely curved, so you don't get the wrinkles like you'd get them from a MTB tube) cutting it left and right at the valve, attaching one end of the clip, then taking a panty hose, cutting off the feet, put the one sock in the other (just to be sure) and fill it up with soft lead (I used 2.3 kg), put a knot in it and then close it on the other side with the other end of the clip / buckle.

I used nothing but a tube, a pair of scissors, a funnel (plastic bottle top), 2.3 kg of softlead, pantyhose, and a quick release clip. No glue, extra tube or heat shrink.

Will test it in water tomorrow but looks pretty solid and wears very comfortably.

 

[TimoP]

Ptoot, You really have kept it simple. Pantyhose...a good and strong idea
I agree, it's better to put the lead first into something like that (pantyhouse, a couple of little plastic bags, ...) and then into a bike tube. That's because it's not fun if some day something go wrong and thousand of lead shots will spread on the bottom of a pool - and that is probably not a pool of your own

But if you use some heat (for heat shrink), pantyhose or plastig bags will melt.
But you don't need heat, if you use only a bike tube.
A bike tube + heat shrink system has douple wall also, and is really strong enough without inside bags or pantyhose.

You can make a 2 kg neck weight direct form a pair of these:
http://www.seapearls.com/weights-ankle.html
http://www.varuste.net/tuotetiedot2...+x+Ankel+Weight+2+lb,+2+x+1.0+kg+nilkkapainot
Notice number 1 means about 0,5 kg and 2 about 1 kg (number=pounds, lb). Take 2x2 and you get about 2 kg (4 lb).
With these it's easy to check you balance, because you can put on in the same time your normal neck weight AND 0,5, 1 , 1,5 or 2 kg angle weight(s) to your neck. In trainings we have 2 normal neck weights (3 and 3,5 kg) and these ankle weights, so we have a large variation of different weights or weight-compinations for different suits, for different packing and so on. We use even 5 kg if packed. You can chance your weight in seconds, if you need more or less weight. Easy and not expencive.

 

[adolphin]

adolphin check out martin Stepaniks site FII freediving he has his nose clips for sale on there, i orded one just waiting for it, spoke with a couple pretty experienced guys that said they were the goods and the pricingmisnt bad either.

F.I.I. Freediving Instructors International - from the beginner to the instructor

DD

Thanks DD, interesting items indeed, the noseclip on the site looks exactely like the one I already have, I found that if I tighten it enough for equalising it would be very painfull as the cushioning is not really cushion but rather a rough surface to stop slippage, so as of now it's helping me during dynamics and swimming only, not for depth, but it might simply be not the FII, I'm not sure, the good news is that Bernard answered the phone finally (yesterday) and promised to do something, so let's see ..